Mia Tindall cheers on mum Zara at Hartpury, and her love of horses is clear

Time of India

17 hours ago

Credit: AL123/Splash News & Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images
Zara Tindall spent the weekend competing at the NAF Five Star International Hartpury Horse Trials in Gloucestershire. Beside the warm-up ring, her 11-year-old daughter Mia watched closely, smiled for photos, and reached up to stroke one of Zara's horses.
The small moments told their own story. Mia looks at home around the stables.
Zara rode two familiar partners at Hartpury. She brought Showtime, known in the yard as 'Cracker,' and Class Affair, nicknamed 'Socks.' Between rounds, Mia stayed close, chatting with her mum and keeping an eye on the action. It was a simple family scene at a busy event.
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The outing fits a long family pattern. Zara is an Olympian who has spent most of her life around eventing.
Her mother, Princess Anne, was the first royal to compete at the Olympics. Her late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, was a lifelong horsewoman. Seeing Mia comfortable in that world feels natural, and it hints at a next chapter for the Tindalls' eldest child.
Crowd shots from Hartpury showed Mia following each phase and cheering from the ropes. She watched showjumping from close enough to see take-off strides and leaned forward during cross-country updates.
Nothing about it felt forced. It looked like a child enjoying her mum's sport.
The event itself is a regular stop for Zara. It draws strong fields across levels and gives riders a good mid-season test. This year she balanced competition with being present for her daughter, and the cameras picked up that easy rhythm. A rider's focus can be intense on show days. Zara still made space for quick smiles with Mia before heading back to the horsebox.
There was also a small stable-side detail that fans loved. Mia reached up to pat Showtime and grinned as the horse flicked an ear toward her. Little gestures like that say more than any speech about where a child's interests might lead. No one is mapping out her future, but comfort around horses often starts with moments like this.
Zara has said before that all three of her children have been on a pony. That early exposure shows.
Mia moved around the yard with confidence, giving the horses space when needed and stepping back when grooms asked. It is the kind of quiet horsemanship children pick up by being around good yards.
Mother and daughter also offered a simple picture of support. When Zara finished a round, Mia was there. When the next phase approached, Mia made way so the team could work. For families who live the show circuit, that balance is familiar.
It is how many young riders begin, watching first, riding later.
The photos from Hartpury will add to Mia's growing gallery of equestrian days out. For now, it is enough to see interest and joy. If she chooses to ride more in public, she will have a mother who understands the sport at the highest level and a family who know how to blend normal life with busy weekends on the road.
Hartpury offered a gentle reminder of what this family values. Horses, routine, and time together. One weekend, two good horses, and a child who could not stop watching. That was the story from the rails, and it was easy to read.